Strand handling apparatus



Oct. 24, 1939. RT.N ELL 2,17-7,457

STRAND HANDLING APPARATUS Filed May 14, 1938 Patentetl Oct. 24, 1939 2.117.451 STRAND HANDLING APPAR'I'US Frank Martlndell. Western Springs, Ill., assignor to Western Electrlc Company, Incorporated,

New York, N. Y., a corporatlon of New York ADplicaton May 14,

Clalms.

This inventlon relates to strand handling apparatus. and more particularly to an automatic stop mechanism for strand wlndlng apparatus.

During the orieratlon of electrlcal coil wlnding 5 machines it is deslrable that an operator should be relieved from watchlng the strand supplles thereof in order to detect the approach of exhaustlon 01' the strand supply so that the machine may be stopped with the end of the strand supply stlll wound on the spool to facilitata the 1nsertlon and connectlon of additlonal strand supply. Thus, by rellevlng the operator 01 the duty of watching the strand supplies the operator ls able to attend addltlonal machlnes, thereby increasing the efllciencyof the operator.

An object of thls invention 1s to provide a simple, eflcient and practical stop mecharilsm for strand windlng machines etlective for automatically stopping the machine onthe approach of the end of the strand wound on the spool and before the end ls wlthdrawn from the spool.

In accordance with the above object, the inventlon in one embodment thereof as applied to coll windlng machlnes, in which a strand wound on a metal supply spool is drawn therefrom and wound on a core flxed to rotate with a motor driven winding spindle, includes a stop mechansm comprising a contact roller bearing upon the strand wound on the supply spool, the roller beng' lncluded in an electrical stopplng crcult. In case the strand supply s lnsulated wire, upon expo'sure of the conducting spool core the roller wll make contact therewith to close the circuit and energize a relay, the armature contacts of When the spool holds more than one length of wire. a layer of metal foll in the case of lnsulated wire or insulatlng materia] in the case of bare wire is nserted inthe supply where the intermediate ends of the wlres are located to serve as a false spool core and effect the stoppng of the winding splndle in a manner similar to that heretofore described.

Other objects and advantages of thls inventlon w111 more fully appear from the following detailed Which upon beng closed control a circuiti to a 1938, Serial No. 207,941

sulated strand;

Fig. 2 is a simllar representatlon showing the lnvention applled to the handllng of a bare strand,

and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary schematlc sectlonal representatlon on an enlarged scale of a supply spool havlng more than one length of strand wound thereon and a layer of metal foil or paper, as the case may be, inserted thereln to serve as a false spool core.

Referrlng to the drawlng, partlcularly to Fig. 1, -in whlch one embodiment of the invention is shown applled to a coll wlndlng machine handllng insulated strand, a metal spool ls indicated at IO havlng wound thereon a supply of electrlcally 1nsulated wire Il, the spool beng journaled for rotation on a metal standard II. The wire Il 1s drawn from a core or drum |3 of the spool III and wound upon a core H arranged to rotate with a wnding splndle "i. The splndle I5 recelves motlonfrom a belt I'I passing al; one end around a. sheave l8 secured to the splndle I5, the opposite end of the belt passing around a sheave |9 secured to the shaft 01' an electric motor 20. The circult tor operating the motor 20 includes lne wires 23 and 24. Which are connected to a suitable source of electrlcal power (not shown), and a swltch 25 having stationary and mova.ble contacts 26 and 21, respectively. A manually actuated switch (not shown) ls connected across when the operatlng circuit of the motor 20 isopened by the breaking of the switch contacts 26 and 21 in a manner to be presently described.

Bearing upon the perlphery of the wire Il wound on the supply spool IO and arranged between and spaced from the spool heads is a contact roller 33 journaled on the free end of an arm 34 plvoted at 31 and.electrically lnsulated, as indcated at 38, from the machine frame (not shown) A spring 39 also electrically insulated from the machine frame and attache'd to the arm 34 serves to hold the contact roller 33 wlth a light pressare against the periphery of the supply of wire on the spool.

A relay 40 has one slde ci lts wlndin3 'connected through the arm 34 to the contact roller 33 and has the other slde of its winding connected to one side of a. source of electric currnt I I, the other side of the current source belng connected through the standard |2 to the spool III. The relay 40 la adapted upon energlzatlon to close'a palr 01 statlonary end movable contacts 42 and 43 for connecting a source of electric current 44 to the wlnding of a solenold 45 to energize it, the movable contact 43 being carrled by an armature 46 of the relay. A spring 41 normally holds the armature 46 in a retracted postion to hold ts contact 43 away from the stationary contact 42. From the foregoing it wlll be apparent that'as soon as the contact roller 33 engages the spool H) the solenoid 45 Will be energzed and a core 48 thereof will be actuated. A link 49 pivotally connected to the solenod core 48 is likewise connected at lts opposite end to the brake member 30 and intermedate its ends, the link 15 pivotally connected to a pivotal arm 50 which carries the movable contact 21 of the switch 25.

In the applcation of the invention shown in Fig. 1, the crcuit for the relay Il! 15 normally open, bui; during the wthdrawal of the last layer of insulated wre H wound on the spoo] core l3 and before the end of the wire ls wthdrawn therefrom the contact roller 33, which has gradually moved toward the s pool core, w111 engage the core and the relay circuit Will be closed. The closed circut may be traced from one side of the source of electrc current H, through the standard l'2, spool IO, contact roller 33, arm 34, the wnding of the relay 40, and back to the other side of the current source M. The ener'gizaton of the re1ay 40 draws the armature 45 carrying the contact 43 downward aganst the action of the spring 41, the conta.ct 43 engaging the contact 42. Thus, the circuit for the solenoid 45 Will be closed through the contacts 42 and 43 and the energzation of the solenoid draws the core 4B thereof towards the right (Fig. 1) and with 11; the connected link 49. This movement of the link 49 carres with t the arm 50 of: the motor circuit switch 25 and thus the switch contacts 26 and 21 are opened. Simultaneously therewith the brake member 30 s rocked counterclockwse about its pivot 3| and is pressed against the periphery of the spndle flange 32 and thus quickly stopping the rotation of the spindle |5.

In the aiaplication of the inventon shown in Fig. 2 for handlng bare or 1minsulated wre 55 in a noi winding maehne, a layer off insulatng material 56 is wound on. the metal spool core I3 in line wth the contact 1011e1 33, so that the roller Wi11 engage therewth on the approach of the end of the wire wound on the spool end before the end is withdrawn therefrom, the in sulating materal beng positoned on the spool core before the wre is wouno thereon. As shown in Fig. 2 the circuit for the re1ay 40 s normally closed and may be traced from one side of the current source di through the standard l2, spool IO, bare wire 55, contact roller 33, arm 34, the windng of the relay 40 and back to the other side of the current source 4|. Wth the relay 40 energzed, movable contact 43 carried by the re1ay armature 46 will be held away from the statonary contact 42', against the acton of the spring 41, and the circut for the solenoid 45 willconsequently be held open. Ths maintains the circuit for operatng the motor 20 which drives the winding spndle I5 closed and the bra.ke member 33 disengaged from the wlndlng splndle flange 32.

During the withdrawal 01 the last layer of bare wire 35 from the spool II the contact roller 33 will move lnto engagement wth the insulatlng materia] 56 and the closed clrcuit through the relay lll Will be broken. The deenergization of the relay Il) permits the spring 41' to draw the relay armature 4B upwardly, thuselosing the circuiti for the solenoid 45 through the contacts 42' and 43' and the energzation of the solenoid opens the motor circuit and applies the brake member 30 to the winding spindle I! in a manner similar to that heretofore described in connection with the application of the invention shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 illustrates iragmentarly an applicaton of the invention in whch the supply spool III carries more than one Iength of wire 51, either of the insulated or uninsulted type. the spool havlng been originally wound in this manner wthout joining the intermedlate ends of the wires. During the windng of this type of wire on a supply spoq1, partcularly where the wre is to be wound into coils on a. wnding machine embodyng the automatic stop mechansm of ths invention, a layer o! metal Ioil In the case of insulated wire or a layer of insulating material In the case of uninsulated wire is inserted in the wire supply on the spool along the area where the ntermediate ends of the wlres are located to serve es a false spool core or drum. The position of the layer of metal foil or of insulating materal in the supply of wire carred by the spool.lfl is indcated by the numeral 58. The winding spindle 15 wlll be stopped and the brake member 30 applied thereto when the contact roller 33 engages the 1ayer of metal foi1 or of in sulating materia] 58 in a manner similar to that herenbefore described in connecton Wth the applcatons of the inventon shown in Figa. 1 and 2 for nsulated and uninsulated Wire, respectively.

Although the inventon herein CGSCI'bBCI and illustrated is particularly we1l adapted for use in 0011 winding machines, it Will be understood that the invention is capable of many other modifications and applcations and is to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

What is clamed is:

1. In a strand handling apparatus includng means for drawing insulated strand from a supply Wound on a rotary electrc conducting member, Ineans for drivng said strand dlawng means including electrc motve means anc an operating crcuit for said motive means, a normally open circuit incluclng said rotary conductng member end conducting means engagng the periphery of the strand supply arrangec to move toward che periphery of the rotary member the strand supply dimini shes and to contact the same as exhauston of the strand is approachcd thereby closing said latter circut, and means including a solenoid and an operating circut [or said solenoid responsive to the closng of said latter circuit to effect an openng of the motor operating circuit and thereby a stoppage of sad drving means.

2. In a strand handlng apparatus includng means for drawng uninsulated st1and from a supply wound on a rotary electric conductng member having a peripheral insulatng mrnbe1 along ts length upon which the strand is wound, means for driving said strand drawng means includng electric motve means and an operating circuit for said motive means, a. normally closed circuit including conducting mea.ns engaging the periphery of the strand supply arranged to move toward the periphery of the rotary member as the strand supply diminishes and to contact the insulating member threon as exhaustion of the strand is approached thereby opening said circuiti, and means including a. solenoid and an operating circuit for sad solenold responsive tothe opening thereof to efl'ect un opening,of th motor operating circuit and thereby a stoppage of sa.id driving means.

3. In a strand handling apparatus including means for drawing strand from a supply wound on a. rotary member, mea.ns for driving said strand drawing means including electric motive means and an operating circut for sald motive means, a movably mounted element enga.ging the periphery of the wound strand supply, sad element arranged to move toward the periphery of the rotary member a.s exhaustion of the strand supply is approached and finally to contact a surface thereon upon which the strand supply is wound, and' means responsive to the contacting of the element with said surface to effect an opening of the motor operating circuit and thereby a stoppage of said drlvingy means.

4. In a strand handling apparatus including means for drawlng stra.nd from a. supply wound on a rotary member. means for driving sa.id straud drawing means includlng electric motive rheans ami an operating circuit for said motiva means, a brake member, a movably mounted element engaging the perlphery of the wound strand supply, said element ar rang'ed to move toward the periphery of the rotary member as exhaustion of the strand supply is approached ami finally to contact a surface thereon upon which the strand supply is wound, and means responsive to the contacting of the element with said surface to eflect a.n opening of the n'1otor operating circutand thereby a stoppage of said drving means and appl y thebrake member against the strand driving means.

5 In a -strand handllng apparatus including means for drawing strand from a. supply wound on a rotary elctrc conducting membr, means for driving said strand drawlngmeans including ele ctric motive me ans and an operating circuit for said motlve means, a circuitncluding the rotary electric conducting member and a movable electric conducting means engaging the periphery of the wot md strand supply, sald conducting means arranged to move toward the periphery of the 'rotary conducting member as the strand supply diminlshes and finally to contact a. surface thereon upon which the strand supply is wound a.s exhaustion of the strand is approached tu contro] said latte: circuit, and means responsive thereto to open sa.id motor circuit and efiect a stoppage of sa.id driving means.

FRANK' MARTINDELL. 

